Metal furniture construction



March 31,` 1936. w. MCARTHUR, JR 2,035,488

METAL FURNITURE CONSTRUCT ION 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor w. McARTHUR, JR

METAL FURNITURE CONSTRUCTION 'March 31, 1936.

Filed April 8 1932 '3 sheets-sheets Inventar mm@ flrtarneys 'Patented Mar.. 31,v 1,936

' description taken in .connection with the draw- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE signor, by' mesne assignments, to Warren McArthur Corporation, Rome, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application April s, 1932, semi No. 604,043

' s claims." (cl. 155-196) This invention relates to furniture construction and particularly to the construction of metal furniture.. t

The primary object vof 'the invention is to provide a form of construction for metal furniture -that is attractive in appearance, light yet strong; and that'can be manufactured, assembled or disassembled cheaply.

- A more particular object is to provide a simple and eiective method of joining together tubular ings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a chair constructed in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 isa sectional detail view of fragments of a leg of the chair shown in Figure 1; f

. Figure 3 is' a cross-sectional view showing th method of attachment of the back'resi's of the chair:

Figure 4 is an elevational sectional view showing the method of attachment -of the back rests;

Figure 5 is a sectional view illustrating the method of joining four radially extending members to a tubular member;

. Figure 6 comprises vertical and horizontal sectional views of one element ofmy joint construction:

Figure 7 is an elevational view of a 'chair conof Figure 9;

` .Figuren is a rs'pective view of a table having trays attached hereto in accordance with the iii-'-A vention; l i Figure 12 is a. sectionalview'through a leg of the table shown in Figure 11;

Figure `13 is a view showing howtwo" lateral A members are joined to al1-upright member'in'l accordance with the practice Illustrated in Figures 9 and 10; 1

' Figure 14 isa vertical in the tending cylindrical .opening flared outwardly at I3 .at the inner end.

lar members I3 in the seats I3 'in the outer faced Figure 16 is a sectional view showing an alternative form oi construction to that of'Figures 9 and 10, where the lateral -member is of large diameter; and

Figure 17 is a one form of rung construction. Referring to Figure 1, I-'have shown a chairV comprising front legs I, and rear legs 2, the latter extending-higher than the front legs I to constitute thel framework of `a back rest. 'Ihe front l0 legs are joined together by front rungs 3 and I, and to the back legs by side rungs 5, 6, l, and 8, and the rear legs are secured together by rear rungs Sand I il'. f Slats I I forming the back rest are secured between the upwardly extending ends of l5 the rear legs 2. An upholstered seat I2 rests upon the front upper rung l and the rear upper rung I0. It is prevented from sliding fore and aft by downwardly projecting screws or legs 4(not shown) which engage with the inner sides of rungs 4 and ,o I0 respectively and is prevented from sliding sidewise by the upper side rungs 5 and 8.

Each of the legs I or 2 is formed of a plurality oftubular members I3 (referring now to Figure 2) separated by washer elements I4 and Il with which the ends of the rungs engage.

Each washer Il or I5 may be of circular outline and has formed in its outward face a circular groove IB into which the adjacent ends of tubular member I3 nt. Each washer also has formed operating washers I l and I5 are placed together as shown in Figure'2, they form a laterally ex its base as shown at I1 and having a tapered 'I'he diameter of the mouthof the lateral opening just 'described is: substantially that of the rung to be inserted therein. Thus, the rung may comprise a piece of metal tubing I! having its y end flared as shown at 20 to nt against the flared wall I1 and thereby anchor the rung betweenthe washers I4 and II. The end of the rung is preferably reinforced-with a plug 'II to the 45 The joint described is assembled by placing the washers I4 andi! about the endof the tube Ifconstituting the rung, thenpositioning the tubuf strength of .the ioint.

of the4 washers andvtlnally compressing'the mem-l` bers I3 and the washers Il and Ii rlnly together by tensioning a 'rod 22 extending therethrough.

v"I'he rod 22 'may be tensioned with respectto tubular members I3 by mounting washers 23am! u detail view partly in section of 6 24 on the outer ends of the tubular member I3 and screwing nuts 25 and 26 onto the threaded ends of rod 22 against the-outer faces of Washers 23 and 24.

'I'he nut 25 is formed with an ornamental head sc that when it has been screwed down to seat against washer 23, it has a neat and iinished appearance. The nut 26 on the other hand is designed to be concealed after it is tightened, by an ornamental cap 21 which is threaded onto a threaded shoulder 28 on the nut 26 itself.

'I'he ends of tubes I9 forming the rungs arev preferably ilared to a slightly larger diameter than the iiared seat I1 in the washers I4 and I5 so that when the washers are drawn together they clamp iirmly about the end of the rung and draw it in against the tapered seat I8, thus forming an absolutely rigid connection and preventing loose joints and resultant squeaking. e

The washers I4 and I5 may be constructed fo the attachment of only one radially extending member I9 as shown in Figure 2 in which case the washers I4 and I5 may be substantially circular in cross section. However, if desired,.they may be shaped as shown in Figure 6 in which a projection 29 is formed on the side of the washer to which the rung is attached, the projecting shoulder 29 extending out over the end of the tube I9 a greater distance and thereby forming a more rigid joint.

This form of construction is not limited to the joining of one lateral m'emberonly to the vertical member. Thus, as shown in Figure 5,`it may be used to secure as many as four radially extending tubular members I9 to a single central post. The construction of the washers shown in Figure 5 is identical with that ofwashers I4 and I5 de-l scribed in connection with Figure 2 except that they are provided with four radially extending openings instead of only one.

An alternative form of joint -construction to that described in connection with Figures 2, 5, and 6, is disclosed in Figures 9, 10, Iand 13 to 15. Thus, referring to Figure 9, the tubular member I9' forming the rung is not flared at the end but is made straight and is provided with a hole 30 drilled therethrough to receive the rod 22. In

this case the washers I4 and I5 are provided with a straight lateral aperture to receive tubular member I9', instead of being flared as shown in Figure 2. With the construction shown in Figures 9 and 10 the tubular member I9' is rigidly secured with respect tothe washers I4 and I5 by the. rod 22. As described in connection with Figure 2, the end of tube I9 is preferably plugged ,with a solid plug 2|' to strengthen the Joint.

In Figures 13 and 14, I have shown a joint construction similar to that of Figures 9 and 10 except that two tubular members I9a and I9b are secured between the same pair of washers I 4a and I5a.so that two rungs may be joined to the leg of a chair at the same point, as is shown in Figure 1 where the side rungs 8 and 1 intersect the rear rung 9. ',This form of construction differs from that shown in Figures 9.and 10 in that the washers I4a and I5a are' each provided with two semi-cylindrical intersecting grooves 3I and thatA tube. 'As in the case of the single joint described above, the rungs are retained between the washers I4a, and I5a. by the rod 22.

In case it is desired to use rungs of large diameter, for instance, diameter comparable to or larger than that of the upright members to which the rungs are attached, the construction disclosed in Figure 16 may be utilized. In this case each rung may bel formed of an outer tubular member 32 secured between end members 33; the latter are provided with circular grooves IS' as described in connection with Figure 2, to receive the ends of tube 32 and are retained in position by a central rod 34 which has threaded ends which screw into threaded holes 35 in the end members 33. Each end member 33 is provided with a cylindrical extension '36 having a lateral hole 31 thereis secured to an upright member in exactly the same-manner described in connection with Figures 9 and 10, the small rod-like extension 36 on each end member 33 corresponding to the tubular member I9' in Figures 9 and 10. The innersurfaces 38 on the end members 33 are cylindrical in shape and nt snugly against the outer cylindrical surface of the washers I4' and I5' in Figure l0.

As shown in Figure 1, the front rungs 3 and 4 may be joined by a vertical reinforcing strut 41 oi smaller tubing than the rungs. It is preferred to form the rungs 3' and 4 together` with the strut 41 as an integral unit before the rimgs are assemblediri the chair. The construction of the integral unit is clearly shown in Figure 17. Thus, each rung 3 or 4 comprises two pieces of tubing 48 and 49, respectively, positioned end to end with a pair of washers 50 and 5I separating their juxtaposed ends. To center the washers 50 and 5I with respect to-each other and to maintain the tubes 48 and 49 in compression against the washers 50 and 5I, a central rod 52 is positioned By screwing the plugs 53 and 54 onto the threaded ends of rods 52,` the tubes are placed in compression against the washers 50 and 5I, and at the same time the rod is placed in tension. Washers 59 and 5I are provided with a longitudinal 'central opening for centering the rod 52 with respect to the tubes 48 and 49. These washers are also provided with a lateral opening to receive the ends of the strut 41, the latter being provided with a' laterally extending aperture at each end through which the rod 52 passes, thus retaining the ends of the strut 41 in proper position between the washers 50 and 5I.

The rung structure disclosed in Figure 1'1 is assembled by threading the tubes 49, washers 5I. strut 41, washers 50 and tubes 49 onto rods 52 and screwing the plugs 53 tightly onto the opposite ends of rod 52. This clamps the whole assembly firmly together. Thereafter. lateral holes are drilled through the outer ends of tubes 43 and 49 and through the plugs 53 and 54 to provide openings for the central rod 22 of the legs I. It is obvious that when the chair is assembled and the rods 22 are passed through theregistered openings drilled through the ends of tubes 49, 49 and the plugs, 54 it will be impossible there- 4 a,oa5,4ss after for the plugs to tum within the tubes andthus decrease the tension of rods 52.

Although any desired metal may be used in constructing chairs or other furniture, as described, I find the methods particularly applicable where the outer tubing members I3 in Figure 2, or 32 in Figure 16, are constructed of aluminum, because the latter metal, although very desirable because of its light weight and attractive appearance, is relatively weak in tension. It is much stronger in compression, however, and may be used successfully for the outer tubular members I3 and 32 for the reason that these members are exposed to compression only, Any tension resulting from the bending of the entire assembly comprising the outer vtube and the inner rod 22 or 34 as the case may be, is borne by the inner rod. It is obvious that the outer tubes I3 and 32 -cannot be exposed to tensile stress since they are only retained in position by being compressed between the end washers.

I have also found it particularly advantageous to provide the grooves I6 and I6' in the washers used at the ends of the tubular members to conceal these ends. The advantages of this groove are two-fold.v In the first place, it conceals the ends of the tubularmembers so that it is unnecessary to smoothly finish theseends before assembly. 'I'his materially reduces the cost of manufacturing the furniture because the lengths of tubing I3 are commonly cut by power saws which leave a ragged burr on the edges ofI the cut. I find that this ragged burr is really advantageous, as the extra metal completely fills the groove and wedges the` tube and washer firmly therein. The second advantage of the groove construction is that it positively centers the ends of the tubular members I3 with respect to the plugs.

' Another important advantage of the generalv method of .assembly described, when used in the manufacture of aluminum furniture, is that methods of coloring aluminum have recently been discovered. The colors produced by these methods, however, are not proof against excessive heat and if it is attempted to manufacture aluminum furniture by welding together colored aluminum elements, the -color is destroyed by the heat of the weld and the appearance of the completed article is ruined. Furthermore, even the heat incident to sawing the metal maybe auflicient to destroy the color immediately adlacent the saw cut. However, the grooves I6" :an be made deep enough to conceal the discol- :vred edge so that in accordance with the present process, colored aluminum 4may be used to ad-v vantage to produce beautiful and artistic furniture.

Referring now to the back rest members II, :bese are preferably formed of sheet metal slats .iaving their upper and lower edges folded back )r rolled to form an edge having a smooth and Finished appearance. The ends of these slats are secured within the tubular members I3 as shown n Figures 3 and 4; thus, each slat has a pair of vongitudinally extending cuts 39.and 40, respecfively, which are positioned equi-distant from :he upper and lower edges of the slat and a short iistance from the end thereof. In the finished :hair the slats are secured within the tubular nembers I3 by forcing. the material above cut I3 and below cut 40 to one side, forcing the ma- ;erial between the cuts 39 and 40 to the opposite ;ide,A andA passing the 'tensioning rod 2 2 through '-he slots 33 and 40 back of the material be- .tween the cuts 33 and ,40 and in front of the material below cut 40. -The slit in each tubular member I3 extends to the top of that member, as shown in Figure 4, to permit each slat I I 4to be slid along rod 22 into proper position. Of course, the lower slat is first placed in position, then the middle slot, and finally'the upper slat, as the tubular sections I3 are built up from the bottom.

It is desirable, in order to prevent undue lateral strain from being transferred from the slats I I to the rods 22, that the slats engage the tubular members I3 where they pass therethrough. For this reason, it is desirable to crimp each slat, as shown at 42 in Figure 3, where it passes through the slit in the tubular member i3. The crimped portion 42 engages-the edges of the slit 4I and prevents in and outmotion of the slat relative to the tubular member. f

As already described in connectionwith Figure l a seat I2 may be secured to a chair frame of the type described by resting it on the straight toprungs 4 and I0. An alternative method of supporting a' seat, in this case a deeply upholstered one,'is shown in Figures 7 and 8. The seat is supported by front and rear 4rungs as previously'described, but in this instance, the rungs 43 and 44 are bowed inwardly to extend a considerable distance within a line connecting the legs. In the particular embodiment'dlsclosed in Figure '7, the seat cushionis retained against lateral displacement by legs' la and 2a', and is retained in position against displacement fore and aft by curved rungs 45 and 45. i

Referring now to Figures 1l and 12, I have shown an adaptation of my tubular construction to the legs of -a card table on which small trays 55 are mounted to serve as supports for smoking accessories or similar purposes. As in Figure 12, the table top comprises a flat member 56 of appreciable thickness which may be constructed of wood and which may be covered with a thin surface. material 51 of linoleumor any desired covering. Each leg of the table is constructed, as previously described in connection with the chairs, of tubular members I3b joined together by Washers I4b and I5b and a central clamping rod 22h.. The legs maybe secured to the table top by passing the rod 22h through the table and screwing a nut 53 thereon. this nut being countersunk into the top of .member 53 so as not to protrude above the surface thereof. A washer 59 having a downwardly extending flange may be used between the member and the uppermost tubular section I3b to prevent the edges of the tubing from cutting into the material 56. It will be apparent that with Vthe construction disclosed, the tubular section I3b will be clamped firmly together between the washers I4b and I5b when the rod 22h is tensioned. This tensioning may be accomplished by screwing a nut on thelower end of rod 22h and bearing against the lower end of the lower section I3b, as was 'described in connection with Figure 2.

To support the trays 55, eachrwasher I4b is positioned between the washers Hb and |5b, the shoulder 60 on washer Mb iitting into the drilled hole in the tray 55. 'l

Where the tray 55 is very small the construction described forms sutcient support for it. The tray being supported between the washers Mb and I5b against vertical motion, although it is free to rotate about the legs. However, unless the tray 55 is very small in size, it is desirable to brace it, and this may be done by the use of a brace 5! rotatably secured between a second set of washers Mb and |5b positioned below the washers engagingthe tray directly as shown' in Figure 12. The upper part of the brace Si is secured to the tray 55 by being riveted or welded thereto. Since both the tray 55 and the brac'e 6E are free to rotate about the leg, of the table, the entirev assembly may be rotated under the table top out of the way or outwardly, all as shown in Figure 1l.

I claim:

l. In furniture construction a pair of spaced apart frame members-each comprising a tubular element, a pair of washers mounted at one end vof each or' said tubular elements, said washers forming therebetween a laterally extending aperture, a rod extending throughout the length of each. of said tubular elements and passing through said washers, a third frame member joining said rst frame members and comprising a pair of terminal connecting elements each having an extension positioned in the aperture between said washers, and each extension having a laterally extending hole through which the rod associated with said washers passes, the faces of said connecting elements which are toward each other each havingaseat thereon, a tubular member comprising at least one section extending between said terminal connecting elements and having its ends positioned in said seats, and a rod concentrically positioned within said last-named tubular member and threaded at its opposite ends into said respective connecting elements, whereby said last-named tubular member is compressed i ments having central retaining rods, a rung element joining said leg elements comprising a plurality of tubular members positioned end to end, washers between said members having seats for receiving and centering juxtaposed ends of said members with respect to each other, a central rod having threaded ends positioned within said plurality of tubular members, a plug in each outer end of the terminal tubular members, said plugs having shoulders resting against the ends of said apart frame members each comprising a. pair of Y hollow elements positioned end to end, the juxtaposed ends of said hollow elements forming therebetween a laterally extending opening, a rod extending throughout the length o! each o! said least one section extending between said terminal I connecting elements and abutting against said connecting elements, and a rod concentrically positioned within said last-named tubular member and threaded at its opposite ends into said respective connecting elements whereby said lastnamed tubular member is compressed between said connecting elements.

4. An article of manufacture comprising a hollow frame member formed by a plurality of tubular elements arranged in end to end relationi ship, an inner rod extending longitudinally through sai'd elements, contiguous element engaging washers slidably mounted on said rod between said elements and provided with means for holding said elements in alignment, a hollow cross member having an end located between and supported by said washers and pierced by said inner rod, and means on the opposite ends of said rst named inner rod and cooperating with the associated ends of the tubular elements for clamping all of said parts together and positioning them on said rod.

5. An article of manufacture comprising a hollow frame member formed by a plurality of tubular elements arranged in end to end relationship, an inner rod extending longitudinally through said elements, element engaging washers slidably mounted on saidrod between said elements and provided with means for engaging the ends of said elements and holding said elements in alignment, a hollow cross member having an end located in and supported by said washers, an inner rod extending longitudinally through said cross member, a connector secured to the end of the inner rod of said cross member and slidably mounted on the inner rod of said frame member, and means on the opposite ends of the inner rod oi said frame member and engaging the ends of the associated elements for clamping all of said parts together and positioning them on said rod.

6. A joint construction for furniture comprising a pair of tubular members positioned in alinement, a pair of washer elements inserted between adjacent ends of said tubular elements and having circular anges thereon for receiving and fitting the ends of said tubular members, said washers together forming a laterally opening aperture therebetween, a lateral tubular member having an end tting into said aperture, the portion o! said end lying between said washers having a laterally extending apertm'e therethrough, and means comprising a rod extending through said nrst named tubular members, said washers and said aperture in the end of said lateral tubular member, together with tensioning means on the ends of said rod bearing against the outer ends Aof said tubular members for4 clamping said washers together about said laterally extending tubular member.

WARREN Momma. Ja. 

